


The Virgin

by justanoutlaw



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Jane The Virgin Fusion, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, F/M, Minor Baelfire | Neal Cassidy/Emma Swan, Minor Character Death, Unplanned Pregnancy, Virginity, slowburn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-03
Updated: 2019-04-01
Packaged: 2019-10-21 22:22:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,134
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17650982
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/justanoutlaw/pseuds/justanoutlaw
Summary: When Robin's sister accidentally inseminates Regina, their worlds are turned upside down. Little do any of them realize, they're not in as control of their lives as they think. The past Regina never knew about, is suddenly coming to haunt her.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is a Jane The Virgin AU, with many, many changes to the story. Outlaw Queen is endgame, I promise, but this is a slowburn. There will be Outlaw Maiden for a few chapters, but...don't get overly attached to Marian. This first chapter doesn't have too much of Robin and Regina, but they'll be more prominent in the following ones.
> 
> Questions for me or the characters are always welcome. My Tumblr is findingtallahassee and my Twitter/CuriousCat is justanoutlawfic.

**_February 1 st, 1994_ **

 

Cora sat up in bed, looking down at the baby girls in her arms. She had known that they wouldn’t be identical but hadn’t expected them to look that different. Baby A had fair skin and blue eyes, some wisps of blonde hair atop her head. Baby B had darker features, from her deep brown eyes to the dark fuzz that stood out next to her sister’s. The nurse, who had no idea of the situation, said that she had never seen twins come out looking so different. Cora would’ve strangled her if she wasn’t so exhausted from giving birth.

 

The door opened and her father entered the room. Cora looked up at him, craning her neck to try to see behind him, but he simply shook his head.

  
“Henry is still stuck in France, trying like hell to get a flight but the weather is putting it off for a few days, and that loser you call a lover didn’t show his face.”

Cora huffed. “His name is Jonathan, Daddy.”

“I don’t really care what his name is. You had a chance to be better, Cora. Now, look at you. How is Henry ever going to accept having a daughter with such light features? He’ll know instantly that she’s not his.”

“I could simply say she inherited it from my side of the family…”

“And when he sees that she looks exactly like your gardener?” Cora adverted her gaze down to the babies. “That’s what I thought.”

“I didn’t even think this was possible,” she whispered. “How can twins have different fathers?”

“I don’t know, but I do know that you’ve ruined your life.”

 

Cora stared down at the squirming babies in her arms. She couldn’t go back to living at her father’s, working as a cocktail waitress. She had pulled herself up from nothing and there was no going back. Henry was a boring man, not very good in bed. Even so, he was giving her a life that she had always dreamed of.

  
“No, I haven’t,” she said.

“There’s no way you can…”

“They didn’t survive the labor.” Cora looked up, meeting her father’s gaze. “It was terrible, tragic, but they lost oxygen. I gave their organs so they could save other babies.”

“You cannot be serious.”

“I told you when I married him, I was willing to do anything to keep him.”

“That’s all well and good, but there’s the mere factor of the girls. What are you going to do with them?”

“I’ll worry about that.”

 

The following evening, Cora was discharged from the hospital. She wrapped the babies in the blankets that she had been knitting throughout the pregnancy. and put on a shawl before having her father drive her to the fire station. It was the dead of night and chilly, for Florida’s standards anyway. Cora walked up the steps and settled the girls’ baskets down on the steps. Each blanket was embroidered with a name. For Baby A, they had gone with Zelena, derived from the goddess of the moon. Baby B was named Regina, which meant queen. Cora wanted powerful names, so one day they would be powerful women. Zelena’s basket had green ribbon on it, while Regina’s was red.

 

“Poor babes,” she whispered. “Life is cruel and full of betrayal. That is my only lesson for you. Now, I must give you away, to give you my best chance.” Cora’s breath caught, as the tears pooled her eyes. “As long as I have the two of you, I can never be more than a miller’s daughter.”

 

The wind picked up and the rain began to fall, signaling to Cora that it was time to go. As she walked away, she could hear both of her daughters crying for their mother, but she simply ignored it. She was on her way to her better life.

**_October 23 rd, 2018_ **

Good food, amazing champagne and everyone donating to the local homeless shelter. It was a night that Robin had been looking forward to for a really long time. His family hadn’t always had the money they did and even so, charity had been so important to his mother, especially given her own upbringing. Robin hoped that she would be happy with how they were giving back. The shelter would be able to do the repairs they needed and add more beds.

 

The party would be what Robin remembered as the last night normal night of his life. His father had insisted on a party and Robin told him that if that was the case, it needed to be for charity. There was lots of loud music, the servers dressed as aquatic mythical creatures and bubbles for the few kids that were in attendance.

 

Despite the presence of his father, Robin would remember it as a good night. He got to talk with Lacey, it was rare that she went anywhere without her husband and Robin was glad that she had left him home for the night. Robin loved his half-sister with everything in him, but when it came to romantic partners, she either picked the absolute worst person or someone that was far too old. It seemed like Adam Gold was a mix of both of those things.

 

Marian stood by his side, smiling from ear to ear. Neither had any way of knowing that this would be the last party they would ever throw together. As far as they knew, the next morning they would be on their way to making Roland a big brother. Roland himself was chasing the other kids around that were his age, tiring himself out. It would be pretty easy to put him to bed that night.

 

It was truly the happiest Robin had felt in a really long time. Had he known what would come, he would’ve cancelled Marian’s appointment the next day. Instead, they’d have breakfast at the hotel before taking Roland to school. They’d discuss different, more secure ways of expanding their family. At the very least, he would’ve insisted that his sister stay at the hotel for the night. Roland would love having a sleepover with his favorite (and only) aunt.

 

Alas, no one is capable of telling the future. So, he kissed Lacey on the cheek, watching as she headed home to her husband. When Marian suggested they turn in and leave the hosting duties to Richard, he agreed. He picked up a sleeping Roland in his arms and they headed up to their suite together. They lived the last normal night of their lives, when their family could still very much be one.

* * *

 

Sobriety is an uphill battle, ask any addict. There are several triggers that you know to avoid once you start recovery, whether it be people, events or objects. That’s the easy part. One can learn to avoid those.

 

What isn’t easy, are the things that come out of nowhere. They pull you down and practically force the bottle to your lips. At least that’s how Lacey Locksley-Gold felt.

 

She had cleaned up her act when she married Adam Gold. There was no more hanging out at the Rabbit Hole after her shift, no hustling men as she played pool (even though that had been how they met). She focused on work and being a good wife. With that, she finally did what her family had been begging her to do for years and quit drinking all together. Lacey began attending A.A meetings and left behind the group of friends that pushed scotch into her hands at parties. It wasn’t an easy process, but it was one she was proud of nonetheless.

 

After yet another party thrown by her father, Lacey walked into the salmon colored home that she shared with her husband. There was music coming from upstairs, which put a big grin on her face. She walked up, unzipping her black dress as she did. When she reached the door, she took the clip that held her auburn curls up in a bun out and let them tumble down. As she opened the door to her bedroom, she allowed the dress to fall to the floor.

  
“Waiting for me, baby?” She asked.

 

Gold shot up from the bed, but he didn’t do it alone. Beside him was Carlotta De Vil, a fellow lawyer at his practice. Lacey’s jaw practically dropped to the floor, taking in the Dalmatian print lingerie that Carlotta wore, along with the lack of anything on her own husband’s body.

 

“Lacey…” he stammered.

 

She didn’t say anything in response. Instead, she merely pulled up her dress to cover her naked body before running down the stairs. She got in her cherry red Jaguar, not even sure where she was going until she pulled up at the Hole. Lacey pushed through the doors and marched straight up to the bar.

 

“Whiskey, neat,” she demanded.

 

Keith simply gave her a smirk and filled her order. Lacey knocked it back in one go, before ordering another one. The thought of her two early morning appointments didn’t even cross her mind, none of that mattered. All that did, was getting the image of Carlotta in her bed out of her head.

* * *

 

Lacey woke up the following morning with a pounding headache and dry mouth. She rolled over in bed, nearly falling over the body that laid beside her. She blinked a few times before realizing it was Ruby Lucas. Wait, why had she gone home with her? Why wasn’t she in her own bed?

 

The memory of the night before hit her like a ton of bricks, causing tears to cloud her eyes. She furiously wiped them away as her phone rang, causing her head to throb even more. Lacey followed the sound to her purse, digging it out. The screen informed her that it was her personal assistant. She slid the green button over and held it to her ear.

  
“Ugh, what?”

“Lacey!” Astrid’s worried voice filled her ear. “You’re late! You’ve got two patients waiting on you!”

“What?” Lacey looked over at the fuzzy red alarm clock that was on Ruby’s nightstand and cursed herself. “Shit! I’ll be right there!”

“Are you alright?”

“I’m fine. Just, distract them.”

 

Hanging up the phone, Lacey raced into the adjoining bathroom and splashed water on her face. She borrowed some of Ruby’s makeup to make herself look somewhat presentable, running a brush through her hair. She had a change of clothes at the office along with some gum. Not the most hygienic, but she didn’t have time to go back home and she didn’t necessarily want to, knowing her husband would be there.

 

Ruby appeared in the doorway, wearing a t-shirt that rode up over belly button and black underwear. “Hey, I can go pick us up some breakfast.”

“I have to get to work.”

“Need a ride? You left your car at the bar last night.”

“I’ll be fine.”

“I had a lot of fun last night…”

“Does it look like I have time right now, Ruby?”

 

Pushing past her one-night stand, Lacey ignored the pulsing headache she had. No one could know how hungover she was, she couldn’t afford for it to get back to her father or God forbid, her brother.

* * *

 

Regina settled onto the bus seat, feeling exhausted. She had been up late the night before grading papers and had considered canceling her visit, but it had taken her months to get an appointment with Dr. Locksley-Gold. She was the only one that accepted her insurance in the city.

 

Being 24, it probably shouldn’t have been her first appointment. She had told herself for years that she didn’t need it, it wasn’t as if she were sexually active and up until she started at her new job, she hadn’t had insurance since she aged out of the system. Emma was taken aback when she heard that and insisted she made an appointment right away. Regina had to bite her tongue at how surprised Emma was. Both of them had grown up in the foster system, but after Emma got pregnant at 17 by the son of one of the wealthiest women in the city, her life had gotten a lot better.

 

Regina had to fight for any bit of success that she got. She worked her ass off in high school to get a scholarship to a good college, working in any spare moment to make up the rest. On top of a full course load, she had worked as a waitress. Being over the age of 18 meant she could work full time, but that was both a blessing and a curse. She had barely slept during those 5 years, living off of coffee and ramen. It had been worth it, at the very least. She was an English teacher at a Catholic middle school and was slowly chipping away at student loans.

 

She pulled out her notebook as the bus drove along to the office. She knew that the idea of a novel was silly, but she couldn’t push the dream out of her head. Books were one of the few things that got her through her crappy childhood. They were an escape to various places, where she could pretend that for a minute, things weren’t so dreary. Maybe she could do that for someone else, no matter how old.

 

Eventually, Regina found herself walking inside Dr. Locksley-Gold’s office. It wasn’t long before she was pulled back into a room, where a nurse took her vitals and confirmed the reason for her visit. After the nurse left and she changed into the paper gown provided, she was waiting awhile for the doctor. She couldn’t help but feel her eyes slowly shutting. It was just for a second, the only break she’d get. After her appointment, she had to get to work. She wasn’t going to fall asleep…no…

 

The door slammed shut and Regina shot up, the paper beneath her crinkling. She blinked a few times, before realizing the short doctor with auburn hair was talking to her.

  
“Um, yes, hello. Sorry. I drifted off.”

“It’s fine. I’m Dr. Lacey Locksley-Gold.” she sniffled and Regina noticed that she had red, bloodshot eyes.

“Are you alright?”

“Yes, yes. Please scoot down a bit.” Regina did as told, her feet sliding into the stirrups. “Did you bring anyone with you?”

“Um, here? No…it’s just me.” She was confused. Did adults normally bring someone with them to get a pap smear?

Lacey sniffled yet again. “You’re doing it alone, good for you. It’s…it’s probably easiest that way,” her voice cracked near the end of her sentence and it became clear she was fighting off tears.

Regina suddenly felt very uncomfortable. She wasn’t good when it came to other people’s emotions. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

“I’m sorry…I’m so sorry. This is so unprofessional. I’m just going through some personal problems.”

“Um…do you want me to come back then?”

“No, then we’ll have to wait another month and that’s not fair to you.”

 

Regina nodded, though still unsure if she trusted the woman in front of her. She stayed leaning back, feeling a tiny bit of discomfort, but then Lacey was pulling away from her.

 

“Alright, you’re all set. Just rest here for 10 minutes and then you’ll get your results in two weeks.”

Regna tilted her head. “That’s it?”

“That’s it. And again, I’m sorry about the…you know.” She gestured to her face.

“No, it’s fine. I hope…I hope you feel better.”

* * *

 

Lacey merely nodded, before walking out of the room. God, that had been so embarrassing. She had never broken down in front of anyone like that before outside her family, much less a patient. She just hoped that it didn’t cause any stress and wouldn’t affect the insemination.

 

Heading out of the room, she went down the hall to her next patient. She raised an eyebrow when she saw her sister-in-law, Marian, sitting up one of the cots. Lacey’s brother, Robin, stood beside her, a smile on his face. Lacey’s brows furrowed as she looked from her chart, back up at them.

  
“I wasn’t expecting you two today.”

“We’ve finally decided to try for another baby,” Marian explained. “So, we had the nurse unfreeze Robin’s sperm.”

 

Lacey stood frozen in spot, her mind replaying Astrid’s words as she walked down the hall.

 

_“You’ve got a pap smear in 3 and an insemination in 1.”_

 

The number on the door read 1…but she had put the sample inside the patient in 3.

 

She had put her **_brother’s_** sample inside the patient in 3.

 

Robin’s **_only_** sample. He and Marian had their son four years ago. Shortly after that, he had been diagnosed with testicular cancer. Before entering chemo, Robin had decided to freeze his sperm so that way he and Marian could still live out their dream of having two children in the future. He had beat the cancer and all of his checkups still showed that he was as healthy as a horse. Of course they’d want to try again.

 

Lacey suddenly felt as though she was going to pass out. What the hell had she just done?

  
“Lacey?” Robin asked. “Are you alright?”

 

Lacey blinked a few times. She couldn’t let them know. No, that’d be a terrible, terrible idea. Robin would never trust her again. IUI only had a 10 to 20 percent success rate the first go around, Marian and Robin knew that. The odds of it even working on the other patient were slim to none. No one had to know. Especially not Robin.

  
“Yes, I’m fine. I just…I forgot your sample. I’ll be right back.”

 

When Lacey returned, she inseminated Marian with some saline before stressing the statistics once more to them. The hopeful look in their eyes drilled a hole in Lacey’s soul. There would be other options for them, wouldn’t they? Plus, they already had Roland.

 

No matter how she justified it, Lacey knew she was wrong. After all Robin had ever done for her, she had just screwed him over in the worst way possible.


	2. Chapter 2

They say you never see a broken heart coming. Robin, on the other hand, had been preparing for his for the past 3 weeks.   


He knew the odds, both he and Marian did. They had talked over the procedure extensively before they decided to actually go through it. After he was given a clean bill of health, they at first debated if they would ever use the sample. They were lucky enough to have Roland, he was just over a year old when they got the news that the cancer was gone. For the next three years, they were extremely happy. They had each other, their thriving hotel.

 

Even so, Robin couldn’t shake this overwhelming need that something was missing. He had only felt that once before, right after they conceived Roland. It was then he had decided to open his own hotel. It’d be under his father’s branch (along with her family being on the board), but it would still be something that he and Marian would run mostly on their own. The Marbella was their second child, they had put so much blood, sweat and tears in it. Now, he felt that again. Roland was getting older, he and Marian were doing very good. So, after his yearly check-up, he had broached the subject with Marian.

 

She was skeptical and rightfully so. The procedure had such a slim chance of working and it was his only sample, his last sample. The doctors had encouraged him to give it prior to his chemotherapy and it had been the right choice. After everything was said and done, there was no way they could conceive another child without that sample. Robin pointed out that it was there for a reason. If it didn’t work, then they could discuss other options. There was no harm in trying, right?

 

So, Marian had agreed. She scheduled an appointment with Lacey and had done all the right things after. For once, she delegated her duties with the hotel and heavied her assistant’s workload. She went to bed at a reasonable hour and though she already ate healthy, she was even more on top of it. Robin did whatever he could to make it easier on her.

 

They didn’t discuss the possible outcomes over those 3 weeks, they had done that enough. Whether it was good or bad, they didn’t bring it up at all. If it weren’t for the little note in both of their calendars to head to Lacey’s office exactly 3 weeks after the insemination, they may not have ever spoken of it at all.

 

The morning of the appointment, things went as normal. Robin woke up to the smell of Marian cooking breakfast. He showered and dressed before making his way into the kitchen part of their suite. They had decided to have a suite built onto the hotel for them while it was in construction, so they would be close if there were any issues. It was like a penthouse, three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a living room and kitchen. Roland found it cool that he got to live in a hotel, just like the character in his favorite books, Eloise at the Plaza.

 

“Morning,” he said, kissing the top of Roland’s head before pecking Marian’s lips.

“You’re having breakfast with us this morning, Papa?” Roland asked from his spot at the table.

“That’s right. Your mama and I have an appointment to head to later.”

“I still get to hang out with Grace, right?”

“Of course.”

Marian turned towards the table, two plates in hand. “I’ve got pancakes for my boys.”

“What would we do without you?” Robin wrapped an arm around her. “What do we say to Mama, Roland?”

“Thank you, Mama!”

 

Marian grinned and set them down, before giving Robin another kiss. He let it linger for a moment, wanting to savor the happy moment. She stroked his cheek.

 

“No matter what the outcome, we’re going to be okay,” she whispered. “No matter what Lacey says.”

“I know,” Robin said, wishing more than anything his heart would let him believe it.

* * *

Regina hated Saturdays. During the week, she had work to keep her busy. On the weekends, all she had was her apartment. Sure, she’d grade papers or go to the store, but those were the days she was reminded most that she was alone.

 

Luckily, that particular Saturday, she had been invited to join Emma, Neal and Henry at the zoo. If she could count on anything remotely close to family, it’d be those three. She had met Emma when they were 10 years old. Both had grown up in the foster system, having scarily similar stories. Regina had nearly been adopted by a great foster family when she was 5 years old, but then the foster mother passed away and the father couldn’t afford to keep her, no matter how hard he tried. Emma had been passed by when her long term foster family got pregnant with a biological child and his medical bills meant they could only keep one. While Regina had been left on the steps of the fire station, Emma was abandoned on the side of the road.

 

They were both headstrong and determined, a combination that might have made them enemies, if they didn’t love each other so much. Together, they stayed in the same group home until they were 16. That was when faux-leather wearing Emma met equally covered in faux-leather Neal Cassidy. Emma snuck out of the room they shared with 2 other girls every night for 6 months, so it wasn’t much of a surprise when she got pregnant. She emancipated herself and Neal got kicked out of his dad’s, the two managing to find housing together by the time Henry was born. Regina became Henry’s godmother and for the past 8 years, that was the closest she had to family.

 

As happy as Emma was at 24, it hadn’t always been easy for her. She struggled to keep up with work and had to drop out of high school, just to be able to take care of Henry. Her and Neal’s relationship had been rocky, including a split once both turned 20. They had only gotten back together a year prior, as they had both grown up some and were ready. Henry was a happy and well-adjusted kid, both his parents loved him. It didn’t mean that both clearly hadn’t had their lives derailed.

 

Regina had made a vow after she saw firsthand what Emma had been through. She wasn’t going to have sex until marriage. She was going to college, start her career. One day she’d start a family, but not until she was ready.

 

She had come close in college. When she met Daniel at freshmen orientation, it almost felt like fate. They dated for 2 years, getting engaged a year in and planned to marry as soon as she got her teaching certificate. He was perfectly fine with waiting, something most guys weren’t. Regina didn’t believe in fairytales, but it certainly felt like she was living in one.

 

Her bubble burst a year into the engagement. Daniel had been walking back to his dorm after a night out to buddies and was hit by a driver that didn’t stop at a red light. They never found who it was and Regina was left devastated. If it weren’t for her academic scholarship, she probably would’ve spent every day in bed. Suddenly, her life became more than just proving she wasn’t the poor foster kid. She had to do it for Daniel. He wouldn’t get to live the rest of his life, so she would live hers for him.

 

Regina pulled into the parking lot of the zoo and started heading towards the zoo. She hadn’t been feeling well and hadn’t been able to keep anything down for the past couple of days, but a promise was a promise. Besides, getting a glimpse of the Swan-Cassidy family made it worth it.

  
“Auntie Regina!” Regina smiled as Henry ran towards her, rosy cheeks and hazel eyes.

“Hey sweetie.” She pulled him into her arms and kissed the top of his head. “You ready to see some animals?”

“Yeah, I was reading up about all the different ones they had. I guess one of the pandas just had a baby. Did you know they weighs less than a pound when they’re born?”

“I didn’t know that,” Regina said, allowing him to take her hand and prattle on about all the panda facts he read.

Emma chuckled, ruffling her son’s hair. “You’re going to talk your aunt’s ear off, aren’t you?”

“At least he’s well read. I wonder who he gets that from, because it certainly wasn’t either of you.”

Neal pretended to look offended. “Just for that, I am so not buying you a pretzel.”

Regina laughed, shaking her head. “That’s fine. I haven’t been able to eat for days now.”

Emma studied her face. “You do look a bit pale. If you’re not up to this, we could always come another day.”

“Nah, I’ll be fine. I made the mistake of eating from that deli on the corner, that always messes me up. Come on, let’s buy tickets.”

 

Regina kept drinking from her water bottle as they made it around the zoo, but that only seemed to make her feel worse. She plastered a smile on her face, not wanting to ruin it for Henry. They spent a lot of time with the pandas and standing in the shade helped, at least a little bit. When they stopped for lunch, she tried to eat a salad. Halfway through the overpriced Cesar, however, she felt sick to her stomach. Regina raced to the bathroom, unaware that Emma was on her tail.

 

“Neal can finish up with Henry here, I’m taking you to the doctor,” she said, standing outside the stall.

Regina groaned, wiping her mouth and flushing. “I’m fine, Emma.”

“No, you’re not. Come on, if you’ve been this sick for days, it has to be more than Al’s.”

* * *

 

Regina felt stupid as she sat on the cot in the emergency room, Emma standing beside her. The doctors were running tests, but couldn’t find anything wrong with her. If it truly was food poisoning, it would’ve been gone by then. At most, it was probably just the stomach flu. In which case, she could’ve avoided a trip to the doctor. Even so, Emma wasn’t backing down.

 

The doctor that had taken her vitals came back in. “Well, we have your results. You’re not sick, you’re pregnant.”

Regina laughed. “That’s impossible.”

“I’m afraid it’s very possible. We tested both your urine.”

Emma’s eyes widened and a grin spread across her face. “Did you get some, finally?”

Regina rolled her eyes. “No! I’m a virgin.”

The doctor raised an eyebrow. “A virgin?”

“Yes, I know it’s hard to believe…”

“It’s very hard to believe, given your test.”

“False positives are a thing.”

“Yes, but normally false negatives are more popular.”

Emma held up her hand, interrupting. “Where did you get your degree? The University of Freaking Dumbass? If my best friend says she’s a virgin, then she’s a virgin. Your test must be faulty or something!”

“Our tests are not…”

“Run the test again.”

The doctor rolled his eyes, but nodded. “Fine. She’ll need to pee again.”

 

Regina was given a bottle of water and she downed it, peeing in the cup as soon as she was able to. She stayed standing this time, watching the nurse put the strip in herself.

 

“Pink means pregnant.” He pulled the strip up from the cup…revealing the pink.

 

Regina had always fucking hated pink.

* * *

 

Robin knew his sister very well. After years of watching her battle sobriety and numerous other bad decisions, he could spot her “I fucked up” face from a mile away. She had it on as soon as she walked into her office the morning that his world was turned on its head.

 

“It didn’t work,” he said, bluntly. He could feel Marian squeezing his hand and he returned the gesture. “Just say it.”

Lacey slowly sat down behind her desk. “There’s a bit more to it than that.”

Robin’s mind instantly went to the worst. “Did you pick up something else in the tests?”

“No…not that…it’s just…I didn’t inseminate Marian.”

Marian’s grip tightened on her husband’s as she focused in on her sister-in-law. “What? Yes you did, I was there.”

“I put saline in.”

“Why the hell would you do that?”

“Because I accidentally put Robin’s sperm in another patient.”

 

Robin had been angry with Lacey in the past. When they were kids and she broke his favorite action figure because she wanted to play surgeon. When they were teenagers and she stole his prom money to go partying with her friends. The time she missed Roland’s first birthday to go on a vacation with a man she had just met.

 

Anger wasn’t the right word in this moment. There was shock, of course, but once that settled…he was left with this bubbling feeling in his stomach.

 

“How the hell does that happen?” Marian asked, when she realized Robin wasn’t going to.

“I was stressed out, that was the morning after I found out that Adam was cheating on me…”

Robin finally found his words. “Were you drinking?”

“No.”

The look in her eyes said it all. He gritted his teeth. “So, my one and only sample…our only chance at adding to our family…is out in some random woman? Who will probably never even think that it could be mine? If it even worked.”

“Well, actually, we’re lucky in that regard. It did work…and she’s been calling me for the past hour, because she’s unsure of how it could’ve happened. I guess she hasn’t had sex lately.”

 

Robin wasn’t sure whether that made things better or worse. It had worked, he was going to be a father…to another woman’s child. Marian still had a grip on his hand, but it wasn’t tight anymore. Despite sitting so close to her, he had never felt so far away.

* * *

 

Regina sat next to Emma, waiting for Dr. French-Gold to come in. This wasn’t possible, it just couldn’t be. There had to be some hormonal reason behind it, maybe she needed to take pills? She was just lucky that the doctor had agreed to see her on such short notice.

 

The door opened and Lacey walked in, looking just as stressed as she had the day Regina had met her. Maybe this woman needed a therapist or pills or yoga. She always looked like she was on the brink of tears.

  
“Doctor, I think there’s something wrong with me. These pregnancy tests keep coming back possible, but it’s just not possible.”

Lacey cleared her throat, leaning against the cabinets. “I’m afraid it is.”

“Excuse me?”

“I…accidentally inseminated you with a man’s sperm.”

 

Regina’s heart began beating heavily in her chest. Emma was yelling at the doctor, but she couldn’t make out the words. This wasn’t supposed to happen, no, it was impossible! She had done everything that she had told herself she would. She hadn’t even had sex with the man that she loved with everything in her. She was supposed to wait until marriage. That was the plan, you can’t get pregnant by being abstinent. It’s the one fool proof way. At least that was what every sex ed class she ever had told her.

 

Her hand went over her stomach. A life was growing in there. A life she had created with a man she didn’t even know. That sounded so wrong.

 

What was she going to do? She lived in a one-bedroom apartment, she got a teacher’s salary. She barely had her life together, how was she supposed to take care of this one?

 

Lacey’s words finally broke through. “The father knows what happened, but I haven’t told him your name.”

Regina looked up at her, her eyes wet with tears. “The father?” She whispered.

“He’s here…if you wanted to meet him.”

“No…no. I need…I need to think.”

Lacey nodded, pulling out a pad and scribbling on it. “This is a prescription, for a pill that would terminate the pregnancy. You have no obligation to talk with him. While it is his sperm, it’s your body. Your choice.”

 

Abortion. Regina could get an abortion. Years of fighting for the pro-choice movement and suddenly, she was forced to make it herself.

 

“Yeah, because that makes it so much easier,” she mumbled, taking the piece of paper away from her.

“If you do choose to carry forward…”

“She won’t be talking to you,” Emma interrupted. “You should lose your license!”

Lacey let out a deep breath, focusing in on Regina. “I am so sorry, Miss Mills. You have no idea.”

“You’re sorry?” Regina felt her blood boil. “You’re **_sorry_**?”

“I never meant for this to happen.”

“Well this is going to be real easy for you, isn’t it? You’re not the one that’s fucking pregnant.”

 

She walked out of the room, slamming the door shut behind her. Leaning up against the wall, she felt her breathing pick up once again, the tears sliding down her face. Emma stepped out of the room, putting a hand on her arm.

  
“Let’s go back to my place. I asked Neal to take Henry to Cecelia’s. We can talk…”

“I’m sorry, but that’s the last thing I want to do.”

“You can’t do this alone.”

“I just need to think.” She wiped her eyes, trying to will herself to stop crying. “I’ll drop you off at home.”

“If you’re sure.”

 

Regina wasn’t sure of anything. She just knew that if she let Emma coddle her, she was going to break. As they walked out of the office, she found herself looking around the waiting room. There were some men sitting there. Some were clearly waiting on the women in their lives, but one could very well be the father of the baby she was carrying.

 

The baby she was under no pressure to carry to term, as the doctor told her.

 

Regina had always tried to plan for even what couldn’t be. There was no way she ever could’ve done that this time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Questions for me or the characters are always welcome. My Tumblr is findingtallahassee and my Twitter/CuriousCat is justanoutlawfic.


	3. Chapter 3

Robin shut his phone off, not wanting to hear it ring for the tenth time. He knew that by now, Lacey had probably told their father and he would try to tell him to forgive her. That it was a mistake, everyone made mistakes. Richard would go down the list of mistakes that Robin had made in his life, acting like that was somehow comparable to inseminating his sperm in the wrong woman.

 

He looked over at Marian, who had been quiet after they left the office. Lacey had told them that the woman hadn’t wanted to speak to either of them, but that she would let them know if she changed her mind. They had told her to instead have everything go through their lawyers. Robin had no intention of suing his sister, but he wasn’t about to talk to her anytime soon. This wasn’t her usual screw-up. How could she have been so careless? How could she have put them in such a situation?

 

Marian had stayed by him through a lot. The cancer had been bad and they had a tiny baby to take care of. She had done it all in stride, finding a way to care for their son, run the hotel and make sure Robin was as comfortable as possible. He hadn’t seen her cry past the day he was diagnosed. She was strong, his rock. After that, he vowed to never make her have to be that way again. There was no way they ever would be.

 

Until that day.

 

Roland was with Jefferson and Grace for the day, they had wanted him out of the penthouse in case of either outcome. If it had been positive, there would be planning and shopping to do. If it had been negative, they would need the day to mourn. Their partners had taken on the meetings for them, they had no responsibilities, nothing to distract them. That was definitely something they were regretting in that moment.

 

“What are we going to do?” Marian asked after they had sat in silence in the living room for a half hour.

Robin met her gaze. “We?”

“We’re married. No matter what, this is your child. Which makes it…my child.” She smiled a bit, but Robin could tell it was forced. He couldn’t blame her. How would he feel if she was having a baby with someone else? “Should we at least meet with her?”

“We don’t have to. Marian, I understand if this is too much. Lacey made it clear that she doesn’t owe us anything, and we don’t owe her.”

“Robin, would you really be able to live with yourself knowing your child was out there?”

 

Robin pursed his lips together, knowing she was right. He had always wanted kids, he didn’t ever think there was another way until Lacey revealed that she didn’t want any. When he met Marian, it seemed to be fate. They agreed on two children, ideally a boy and a girl. Roland came not long after they had opened the Marbella and Robin could barely remember how he lived life without him. Unlike most people in their circle, Robin was there for all the events. Sure, Roland had a nanny, but Robin and Marian went to soccer games and hosted sleepovers and playdates. They adjusted their schedules so they could get those parenting moments in there.

 

There was no way that he could go on with his life, not knowing his other child. It would kill him every day. Not to mention, he would wonder what that would do to them. To know that their father had walked away, simply because their mother wasn’t who he had expected? Roland got the best of what life had to offer, he was a very lucky little boy. He couldn’t deprive this other child of the same.

 

“No matter what I want, there’s you,” Robin pointed out, gently. “Marian, would you really be okay with us raising another woman’s child?”

“We said we would look into adoption if this didn’t work out.”

“This is a little different. I mean, the baby is still mine. Plus, we won’t know what the other woman will want to do. She could want to co-parent. Are you ready for that?”

Marian sighed, pushing her thick curls behind her ears. “Frankly, I’m not ready for any of this, but it’s not something either of us have a choice in.” She grasped his hand into hers. “Robin, I love you. And I know I’ll love this child because he or she is a part of you. This may not be what we had planned, but I do want this baby.”

Robin nodded. He could see the doubt in her eyes and he couldn’t blame her. He was feeling it himself. Yet, he also knew deep down that when the baby arrived, things would be different. “How did I get so lucky?”

She softly smiled, a real one this time. “I’m the lucky one.” Gently, she kissed him and Robin cherished it, feeling the first bit of comfort he had since he got the news.

“What if she doesn’t want to talk to us?” He asked, suddenly.

Marian frowned, her eyebrows stitching together. “She can’t do that, can she?”

“Lacey made it clear that she doesn’t have to have anything to do with us if she doesn’t want to.” He leaned back on the couch, running his hand over his face. “I guess we’ll have to respect that.”

 

His phone rang for the eleventh time and Marian grabbed hold of it, answering.

  
“Lacey, we told you to call us through your lawyer…” She trailed off, her grip tightening a bit on the phone. “What? Oh…okay.” She nodded, then must have realized that Lacey couldn’t see her. “Yes, I’ll tell him. Okay. Bye.” She hung up and looked over at her husband. “Looks like you don’t have to worry about that. The woman wants to meet with you.”

Robin sat up. “Really?”

Marian nodded. “Tomorrow morning. Her name is Regina, she wants to meet at the café on Arrow Drive.”

“Tomorrow morning, that’s…”

“I can handle the meeting with Keith Nottingham.” Robin gave her a look, he was one of their more difficult investors. “I can. I’ll bring Mulan with me for backup.” She gently kissed him once again. “Besides, it’s probably best if it’s just the two of you.”

* * *

 

Regina wondered if she was doing the right thing as she waited inside the tiny café, looking at the cup of tea in front of her. She had paced her room for hours after leaving the office, debating her choices and she knew what she had to do. Despite the doctor telling her that she didn’t have to tell the father, Regina knew that it wouldn’t be right otherwise. Had it been her egg, she’d want to know where it had ended up and what was happening. He deserved the same respect.

 

Robin. Dr. Locksley-Gold had said his name was Robin. She wouldn’t give any more details, just that. Regina put her hand over her stomach, feeling like she was going to be sick once again.

 

“Regina?”

 

She looked up, finding a tall man standing there, in a gray dress shirt and very nice jeans. His dark blonde hair was styled and he had beautiful blue eyes, with just the right amount of facial hair. The cologne that radiated off of him matched the scents of a forest, pine mostly. Her eyes drifted from his handsome face to the Rolex on his wrist and the clearly expensive Italian leather shoes. He had money. God, this wasn’t going to go well.

 

“Yes,” she managed to get out, forcing herself to relax and not get sick all over the table. “You must be Robin.”

“Robin Locksley.” He shook her hand, before sitting across from her. “Thank you for agreeing to meet with me.”

“Your wife didn’t want to come?”

“We had a pretty big meeting today and both of us couldn’t miss it.” Regina must have looked confused, because he continued on. “We own a hotel, The Marbella.”

“Oh.” Regina nodded. “We had my senior prom there.” She wasn’t sure why she said that, it was true but she doubted he cared. Yet, he smiled. Why was he smiling?

“So…you’re pregnant…with my baby…”

“That’s what the doctor said.”

“Just tell me where your head is at, regarding all of that.”

“I mean...” She saw how hopeful he was and she hated herself for what she was going to say next. “I’m not ready to be a mom.”

“We’d take it,” he replied, without missing a beat. He made it sound so easy, like she was saying she didn’t want a sweater or something.

“And then what? I live the rest of my life just knowing that my kid is out there?”

Robin’s face fell and for some reason, Regina felt her heat shattering into a million pieces. He looked like a kicked puppy. God, this wasn’t fair. “So…you’re not going to have it?”

“Look, I had a plan for my life. And maybe this sounds selfish, but this wasn’t part of it. I was supposed to fall in love, get married and then have a baby.”

 

Regina saw his hurt look increase and she realized that this wasn’t his plan either. No sane married man would want their sperm to be inseminated in the wrong woman. She sighed, pushing her hair backwards.

 

“I grew up in the foster care system. My parents, they didn’t want me. I was left on the front steps of a fire station.” She saw his hurt look shift a bit and turn to pity, as most people’s did when she told them. “I never met either of them, not even my mom. I like to think that she was in an impossible situation and that she had to let me go, that she did it for my best chance. But at the end of the day, all I do know is…I was unwanted, abandoned. I have felt that way, every single day of my life. I think about her all the time and wonder if she’s even thinking of me.”

 

Regina felt the tears prickle her eyes and she looked away. She had never admitted that to anyone. Emma always spoke poorly of her biological parents. She didn’t want to know who they were or where she came from. Most kids in their group home had done the same. They wanted new families, fresh starts. So, Regina had buried her true feelings deep. She buried her face in the pillow at night, praying for the day that the door to the group home would open and her mother would walk in. She always wondered what she’d look like or how nice she would be. Would they go off to a small cottage in the woods or a huge house on a hill? She didn’t know, but she could dream. And those dreams had hurt her.

 

“I can’t do that to my child,” she whispered. “I don’t want them to feel that way, ever.”

 

Robin was staring at her, the same mix of hurt and sadness on his face. He truly looked torn between wanting to cry and wanting to hug her. Regina hadn’t wanted to make him feel bad, that was the last thing she wanted. She just had to be honest. It wasn’t fair to anyone to continue on with this pregnancy as far as she was concerned.

 

“I get it,” Robin whispered. “I really do.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be.” He forced a small smile on her face. “It’s your choice.”

“Yeah,” Regina mumbled, her hand falling back to her stomach. “Yeah…it is.”

* * *

 

Regina sat on the bus ride home, not even bothering to put her headphones in or to look through her phone. Instead, her mind went to her conversation with Robin. He had seemed like such a nice man, he smiled at her and he listened when she spoke. It was clear he was hurt by what she said but he didn’t try to make her feel bad about it. When they had left, he had shook her hand and told her if she needed anything, he would be there for her.

 

She was squashing his dreams of a child and yet he wanted to be there for her?

 

When she got back to her apartment, she knew that she should’ve gone to bed. She had to get up early in the morning to catch another bus to get to work, but instead she found herself on her laptop, looking up Robin Locksley. Turns out, there was a lot more than she was expecting.

 

Born to Richard and Kate Locksley, he had grown up in Florida. According to news articles she found, his mother died at a young age and his father had remarried Collette French. Together they had…Lacey Locksley. A quick search confirmed that it was the same Lacey Locksley-Gold had that had inseminated her. Robin hadn’t even mentioned that, though she supposed she couldn’t blame him. It’s not like he would’ve asked for her to do any of this on purpose anyway.

 

There was an article about Robin’s wedding to Marian Dubois. She was drop-dead beautiful, the article bragged that she had a business degree from Harvard. The picture showed them looking so happy together. A few articles forward announced the birth of their son, who looked like a perfect combination of them both. They seemed like the perfect American family. They’d be okay, Regina told herself. They had one child, they didn’t need her to bring another one into the world for them.

 

Just as she was about to close out, she saw something about Robin stepping down from the Marbella board for a bit. As she read the piece, it explained that he had been diagnosed with testicular cancer. It explained that he was going to be spending a lot of time in the hospital. From the dates, it looked to be happening a little after Roland was born. A statement showed Robin being thankful for everyone being in his corner, but especially his wife.

 

That lead to Regina researching the effects of that particular cancer. It did in fact lead to infertility, including low sperm count. Most patients were asked to freeze sperm before going through treatment, so they would be able to have children in the future. That would explain why Marian and Robin had been doing all of this in the first place. This was their chance to have another child.

 

And Regina had the power to give it or take it away.

 

Shutting the laptop, Regina leaned against her headboard, covering her face with her hands. This was too much. She had never asked to be put in this situation. And now it was all on her. Robin and Marian couldn’t force her to be able to do anything. This was only a choice that she could make. All of her years of studying, hadn’t prepared her for this.

 

If she had randomly had sex and gotten pregnant, chances were, she wouldn’t have gotten an abortion. But that was why she hadn’t gone out and had unprotected sex. She hadn’t even slept with the man she loved with all of her soul. She had a plan for her life, how things were supposed to go down a T. She wasn’t opposed to the idea of falling in love again and having a child with someone else, it just wasn’t supposed to happen like this.

 

Realistically, she knew that she didn’t have to walk away completely. She could raise this baby. Robin would help her with financial support and they could raise the baby together…with the help of his wife. All she knew about these people was what she had read on the internet. That wasn’t exactly helpful. What if they tried to take the baby away from her all together? Robin didn’t seem like he would do that…

  
“You just met him,” she muttered to herself. “You don’t know him from Adam.”

 

She also knew that money didn’t automatically equal a good life. Regina found that people with money often felt like the rules didn’t apply to them. She didn’t know how Robin and Marian felt with that. Sure, there had been plenty of articles about charity balls and silent auctions for the homeless and battered women shelters, but that didn’t mean anything either. Who knew how their morals aligned?

 

_Well to be fair, you didn’t exactly ask him._

 

Regina pressed her hand against her forehead, trying to get her subconscious to shut up. The bag from the pharmacy sat a few feet away on her dresser, ready for her to take when she was ready. Would she ever really be ready for that? She didn’t think so.

 

Regina wasn’t ready to be a mom and she didn’t have to be one, not if she didn’t want to. Marian and Robin had money. They could get a sperm donor and try again, or they could adopt. This wasn’t the end for them. Yet for some reason, they wanted this. They wanted her baby.

 

She wanted her baby.

 

Just because she wanted it, though, didn’t make it right. This was such a complicated situation. The doctor who had done this to her, was the baby’s aunt. They would all be some weird family. Thanksgiving would be pretty awkward. Would Robin and Marian’s family accept this baby? Would they accept her?

 

No matter what, it didn’t matter. She couldn’t rely on the Dubois-Locksley family to make her or the baby feel welcome. All she could do, was base it on her own feelings and instincts. She hadn’t had parents since her adoptive father had been forced to let her go. It hurt, but she could barely remember her brief time with the Hernandezes. The adoption had barely been finalized when he had to give her up, her last name hadn’t even changed yet. She didn’t know how to be a mom.

 

That didn’t mean she couldn’t learn.

 

Regina had told Robin that she couldn’t be a mom…but maybe she was wrong. Maybe she could.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Questions for me or the characters are always welcome. My Tumblr is findingtallahassee and my Twitter/CuriousCat is justanoutlawfic.


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